The Radiant One
by Twylise
Summary: A follow up of sorts to the DarkAngel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Time has passed and the cast has gone through many changes, Aeriel most of all. (DISCONTINUED)
1. In Memoriam

chapter1 Disclaimer: I own nothing!!!! Nothing I tell you!!!…Well I do own a wicked cool pair of white leather boots and a nifty poncho I got for my birthday…But that's besides the point.…Actually I do own Sammie and Joe and a handful of other characters mentioned in this chapter but nothing from the Darkangel trilogy which was written by the brilliant Meredith Ann Pierce (who would probably feed me to a whole bunch of nasty things if she found out how I was screwing with her story.) I'm not sure if I own Calli though…I guess in theory I don't…Also I do own this story all though there's probably 26 000 just like it somewhere else on the net, although on different series and such…but I'm REALLY babbling. Oh! And Weatherby just like all other cats in existence owns himself and does whatever he damn well wants… 

Warning: There's nothing really violent or sexual in this story…. Except I sometimes use naughty language including holy cow…. which of course shows you that I'm also prone to using particularly lame language.   
  


**THE SORCERESS TRILOGY**

Part 1 : The Radiant One****

**By Twylise**

**_Chapter 1: In Memoriam_**

**"I know you're out there somewhere.**   
**I know I'll find you somewhere**   
**And somehow I'll return again to you...**   
**The secret of your beauty**   
**And the mystery of your soul**   
**I've been searching for in everyone I meet**   
**And the times I've been mistaken**   
**It's impossible to say**   
**And the grass is growing**   
**Underneath our feet"**   
**--Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) I Know You Were Out There Somewhere**

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The rosy light of dawn was only just starting to shine when she woke up. A quick glance at the alarm clock showed the time to be no later than six. 

She groaned softly, "Why did I have to wake up so early…On _today _of all days!?" She had had such of hopes of missing this dreadful anniversary of sorts all together by sleeping until tomorrow. Now even that was denied to her. 

She turned to her still dozing husband and cradled his cheek in her hand, the dark ebony of her fingers contrasting with his pale skin and hair. 

"At least you can sleep in a little more. Lucky." She tilted her head to the side and stared at him. He looked so much like_ her _when he was asleep Erin mused and felt that familiar pang in the depths of her heart. 

"How am I going to make it through twenty four hours if I can't go for five minutes without thinking of you?" She stood and tilted her head upwards as if awaiting the response that she knew wouldn't come. She stayed like that for a moment until a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her from behind. 

"The same way you always do; by crying and ranting and screaming and moping about until the clock strikes midnight and its over. Then you have another year to prepare yourself. I daresay you've gotten quite good at it, after all the times we've gone through this." 

Erin roughly shoved her husband's loving arms away and turned around to glare at him. 

"How can you be so calm on _today_ of all days!? Don't you care? You know very well that today marks the date on which _she_ died! And it was my fault!" Here Erin's tone, which had previously been angry yet controlled, began to waiver. Tears ran down her cheeks. Darkening the already dark skin. 

"It wasn't your fault that Aeriel died." Roshka murmured. 

"Yes it was…I should have been there for her. I could have saved her." Erin's rage had now been replaced with the sinking weight of guilt and despair. Which was probably the cause of her anger all along. 

"You couldn't have protected her. They were too strong. She wouldn't blame you." 

"Of course she wouldn't have blamed me. It wasn't in her nature. She couldn't hold anything against those she loved. Even that bastard of a husband of hers." Roshka winced at the vehemence in his wife's voice. Not noticing his discomfort Erin continued on talking. "----that's not the point. I still feel partly responsible. I might not have been able to save her but I could have tried. At least she wouldn't have died alone, surrounded by enemies." 

"Erin, it's been centuries since my sister's death." He sighed. "When are you going to forgive yourself?" 

Erin smiled bitterly. "When _she_ tells me she has." 

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**"You and me--we know that land**   
**And often have been there**

**In the long old days, old nursery days,**   
**A dark child and a fair.**   
**Was it down the paths of firelight dreams**   
**In winter cold and white,**   
**Or in the blue-spun twilit hours**   
**Of little early tucked-up beds**

**In drowsy summer night,**

**That You and I got lost in Sleep**   
**And met each other there--**   
**Your dark hair on your white nightgown,**   
**And mine was tangled fair?"**   
**--'You & Me and the Cottage of Lost Play' by J.R.R. Tolkien**

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_She was drowning._

_ The darkness. The darkness was everywhere._

_She tried to force her way to the surface but her limbs were aching and numb. They wouldn't move._

_Up above her she could almost hear the chilling laughter of the beautiful ice woman._

_Could almost see the flashing carmine eyes of the shadowy robed figure._

_And all the while, despite her struggling, she was sinking deeper…_

***THUD!!!*** 

"OOOF!!!" 

Calli let out a low groan and rubbed her aching sides. "What the hell just happened?" 

Slowly, almost reluctantly her luminescent, jade eyes flickered open to survey her surroundings. She took in the cosy sight of her bedroom; her battered oak desk, floral curtains, last night's outfit tossed carelessly to the floor….and her current position on said, _hard_ wood floor, her sheets twisted around her. 

Calli let out her second low groan of the day as she untangled herself from her bedclothes. After all it was the _sixth_ time this month that she had had that bizarre dream and had fallen out of bed. She didn't think her bones could handle a seventh. 

She stood up, yawned, stretched and looked at her alarm clock. It read 8:15. 

…..8:15!!!!!!! 

Holy cow she was going to be late!!!!!!!! 

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Erin sputtered on her coffee. "What did you just say?" 

"I said we're going to be meeting the old gang for lunch later." Roshka set his newspaper aside and watched Erin, "Is that ok?" 

"No it is not 'ok'!" Erin's half spilt coffee, like Roshka's newspaper was set aside, " I cannot deal with that…that _man._ I cannot deal with him on my best of days…And your expecting me to act civil to him today?!" 

"Why can't you and Irrylath just get along for once? For Aeriel…" 

"Leave Aeriel out of this!" Erin slammed her fist down on the kitchen table, "If only that son of a------" 

"He's my cousin." Roshka injected coldly. 

"I don't care! If he'd have been nicer to Aeriel than maybe-----" 

"I thought you were blaming yourself for her death." 

"I am! But he's just as guilty as me, even more probably!" 

"I admit that Irrylath's attitude toward Aeriel after Oriencor's demise was unnecessarily cold and -----" 

"It only took weeks after his own heart was returned for him to run into that bandit's arms!" 

"Erin…" 

"And than he had the nerve to call Aeriel a sorceress and accuse _her_ of bewitching _him_!" 

"ERIN!" 

"WHAT?!" 

The expression on Roshka's face was stern. He'd had enough. "Irrylath's no more to blame for my sister's death than you are." 

He raised a hand to keep her from commenting. "Yes he reacted rather callously to the information that maybe the only reason he had loved Aeriel was because of the exchange of hearts. And yes he could of handled it better. But my cousin is only human and he makes mistakes." 

Here Erin snorted contemptuously. "But I think that for all our sakes you should try you're hardest to keep your temper in check. Just for tonight." 

"And why is it so important that we go tonight." Erin remarked sourly. 

Roshka's shoulders sagged. "Despite what you may think, I miss Aeriel just as much as you do. She was my twin sister." Sharp jet met weary emerald. "And the only way I can think to overcome my sorrows is by sharing it with those who feel it too." 

"Well not everyone copes with pain the way you do love." Erin's tone was brittle, "I need to be alone for a while." 

And with that said she rose from her seat and strolled out of the house. She slammed the door behind her. Loudly. 

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Calli sputtered on her coffee. "Yuck! It definitely isn't the milk that's the problem. This still tastes like old socks." She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and handed the mug back to Joe. 

Her boss frowned at the expresso machine and whacked its side with the flat of his hand. "Do you think the pipes have rusted over maybe? Or there's something in the water?" 

From her seat at the bar Sammie rested her face in her hands, the countless bangles she wore jingling as she looked up at Joe. "Why don't we just buy a_ new _coffee maker? How long have you been using that old hunk 'a junk anyway?" 

"This 'old hunk 'a junk' was making great coffee since back when you were still in elementary school, missy and its never given me any problems until now. I'll just call a repair man to come out and until than you ladies can make the hot drinks the old fashioned way." 

His bushy eyebrows lowered ominously over his eyes. "And buy the way what are you doing in here talking to me when you should be out there serving customers?" 

Sammie and Calli glanced at each other nervously. "Um…well…we just thought—" 

"I'm not paying you to think! Go! Go! Start taking orders!" Joe waved his large, brown hands at them in a shooing motion and ushered them out unto the cafe's patio where the tables were set-up. 

Calli quickly got herself back into the routine of running back and forth into the kitchen, taking and delivering orders. 

All the while her mind was running just as quickly. What had that dream been about? Well not dream she amended quickly. More like nightmare. 

She could have almost sworn it was real life. And that she was really drowning! Maybe it was just the way she had gotten herself ensnared in her sheets that had made it seem that way? But that still didn't explain why she had had the same dream repeatedly. 

When she was little she'd often been beset by all sorts of dark and fascinating nightmares. She couldn't recall most of them but she did know drowning had been a common theme. 

That was to be expected though. It was her greatest fear. Drowning. Her parents had tried to send her to swimming classes on many occasions but with no success. Nowadays she just avoided all swimming like the plague. 

The other nightmares had been pretty bad too though, although it was so long ago she couldn't recall what was in them. Monsters and ghosts and such she supposed. Frequently she'd wake from one in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep unless it was in her parent's bed or Cordy's, once she'd even had to sleep in Walker and Ethan's room. A prospect that unnerved her almost as much as the dreams had. 

But that had been ages ago when she was just seven. Why would they return now after fourteen years? 

"Caaaallllliii…..You there?" Sammie seemingly popped out of nowhere and gave Calli's long, pale, golden plait a tug. A_ sharp_ tug. 

"Yow!!!" Calli jumped about a foot into the air before turning around and glowering at her friend, "DO YOU MIND?" 

Sammie giggled in response, "Not at all! What's up with you? You're acting like your cat's died or something. Very broody." 

"Well we can't all be stereotypical chirpy little blondes like yourself so early in the day." Calli grumbled "AND Weatherby is perfectly fine thankyou very much. I should bloody well know that, I tripped over him on my way out this morning." 

"Awww….my poor little baby." Sammie reached over to pinch the younger girls pale cheeks. "But that blonde comment is really a case of the pot calling the kettle black. You've been known to outdo _me_ in the nauseatingly cheerful department on occasion." 

"Well I'd be a lot more nauseatingly cheerful if I hadn't been up until three AM last night." 

"Well what can you expect when you work in a happening bar like the Argo?" Sammie proclaimed as she grandly gestured to the establishment surrounding them. "_And_ if you wanted a good nights sleep why didn't you just take the afternoon shift today?" 

To Sammies delight Calli's usually radiant smile shone brightly for the first time that day. "Because," she squealed, "I got a call back on an that audition this afternoon!" 

Sammie screeched and swept her friend up in a bone-crushing embrace, "That's AWESOME Calli! Your big break!" 

"Well I wouldn't get so excited, I haven't got the part yet," She blushed self –consciously, "and even if I do its not really anything major. I haven't hit the big time just yet." 

"But it's still a play. And you love doing it." 

"Yes" Calli gushed, "I do." It was the whole reason why she'd moved to the states in the first place; to act. 

Only weeks after she finished high school she'd packed her bags, got her papers in check, said her goodbyes to family and friends and flown to New York. She attended preforming arts school for two years and had since been going to countless auditions hoping to get chosen. And she did sometimes, although only minor roles and the occasional bit as an understudy. It was a start at least. 

And although she hadn't done to well in the first few months; a tiny, roach infested apartment, nothing to eat but 3-minute noodles and caned soup and most importantly no companionship (except for her lengthy phone calls home), she'd survived. 

And then, one day, while at the super market buying, yes you guessed it canned soup and 3-minute noodles, she'd run into Sammie. Blonde, bubbly, streetwise Sammy, who despite being only two years older than her took Calli under her wing and taught her the ropes of big city living. 

She had showed Calli how to survive on a shoestring budget and had even gotten her her job at this bar, which had allowed her to afford a bigger, and thankfully more hygienic apartment. 

The job at the bar had not only provided Calli with money though, it also gave her the opportunity to meet all sorts of fascinating characters. Like Joseph Deale, her strict but kind-hearted, middle aged employer. Who was now yelling at her and Sammie to stop standing around gossiping and start doing their job. He was definitely in one of his grouchier moods this morning. 

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Roshka gave a long-suffering sigh as he picked up the phone and started dialling. Erin was defiantly in one of her grouchier moods this morning…. Check that. He corrected looking at his watch. It was already noon now. 

Finally someone picked up on the other line. Roshka snapped his mind back into the present. "Hi Hadin…….Not all that good I'd have to say. How about you?……..Yeah…….I see your point……..Well actually I'm not that sure about tonight……….Well yes we _can_ come but Erin….." 

He paused and listened to his cousin ranter on for a few moments, "Yes that's what I told her but you know how much she dislikes Irrylath and the feeling is rather mutual……..I guess I'll still be coming…… Yes I've tried ringing her mobile but she's turned it off. She left in a bit of a huff……..No I'm sure she'll cool down eventually. You know how temperamental she can be……..Uh huh……….So _is_ Irrylath going to be there?…..Well that is a relief……it would be kinda ridiculous for both of them not to come so they wouldn't see each other……….At least Saber's not around any more. I can still remember that catfight she and Erin had that last time they met even though it was back in the old days…You know what I mean by that…….Oh!!! Sorry! I'd better let you go then……See you soon…..Bye…" 

He hung up. At least now that was taken care of. He just hoped his wife would cool down and come to her senses sooner rather than later. 

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Erin wistfully watched the children playing baseball. She even managed a weak round of applause when a little tow headed boy scored a home run. 

She had always wanted children, she'd have to talk it over again with Roshka later on. That is when she'd decided she _wanted_ to talk to him again…. 

It irritated her that he'd just bowled over her desire to not come within talking (or rather screaming) distance of his elder cousin. His cold, stubborn, snobby, pretty boy, arrogant elder cousin. 

Looks aside, she'd never been able to understand what Aeriel had seen in him. 

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"I don't understand….what does my character like see in this Dimitri guy? I mean she just keeps on like chasing him and chasing him and he just shoves her away and goes after Hernia. I mean if I was like this Helen girl I would just like give up." 

Calli, along with most of the actors waiting for their turns to audition, winced. How had that girl even made it past the original tryouts without even knowing the main casts' names properly? Life was chock full of mysteries. 

The casting director, a very grave looking lady with a dark, silver-streaked bob and horn-rimmed glasses rubbed her temples, "NEXT!!!" she called out hoarsely. 

"Locke, Callista!" Somebody towards the front of the hall read out. Calli gulped. Just her luck to be called up when the casting director was in the midst of what looked like a very severe migraine. She approached the stage like one would approach a huge, salivating, man-eating tiger. 

"Look on the bright side...You can't do anyone worse than the 'valley girl'." Someone gently whispered over her shoulder. 

Calli turned around to see the man who was holding the list of names smiling at her encouragingly. He gave her the thumbs up signal. Calli managed a grateful smile despite the butterflies swarming around in her stomach. She walked onto the stage. 

Horn-rimmed glasses looked her up and down critically, "Callista? That's a very unusual name…" She raised an eyebrow. 

Sweet smile still in place, Calli replied, "My parents were very unusual people." 

Both eyebrows were now up, "You also have a very unusual accent, Scottish?" 

"Irish." 

"Well then, Ms. Locke why don't you show us what you can do" Horn-rimmed glasses flipped her copy of the script open, "I assume that you, unlike some people here, are familiar with Shakespeare's _A Midsummer-Night's Dream_?" 

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"Y-you know t-this is really really good risotto." Hadin stammered, nervously trying to break the silence about him and his dinner companions. 

He glanced around at those who surrounded him; the majority of his brothers, (excluding Syril and Lern who were somewhere in the Amazon jungle studying the mating rituals of jaguars) Talb the Mage and finally his cousin Roshka. 

He felt strangely awkward sitting here with them, they rarely got together in a large group nowadays. Everyone was mostly content to go off and do there own thing, although Hadin, like Roshka missed the old gang. 

So he had planned this get together, not only to commemorate Aeriel but also to catch up with them. Then Erin had run off to who knows where and things had seemed to go further downhill from there. 

Irrylath was being even more aloof than usual. He had spent most of the evening staring out the window at the moon and only speaking when asked something directly. Even then his answers were vague. 

The rest of Hadin's brothers, along with Roshka had at first attempted to make pleasant conversation but once the food had arrived they had lapsed into a kind of gloomy 'cone of silence'. 

Talb, although slightly less morbid than everyone else was constantly and understandably fidgety. He was obviously uncomfortable being above ground again and the inquiring stares from both the waiters and people at near- by tables must have been off putting. 

It was enough to drive a guy nuts! Hadin almost wished Erin were here. Sure she and Irrylath would fight like cats and dogs, but anything would be better than this damn silence! 

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The noise in this place was deafening! The shouts and jeers of the patrons, the loud pumping dance music, along with the noise the dancers themselves were making….. 

It was enough to drive a girl nuts! 

Erin weaved her way through the mob and plonked herself down on a bar stool. 

After a day like today…. What she needed right now was a cold, strong drink. 

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There were very few things Calli hated about show business, but the main one would have be the agonising waiting she went through after an audition. Just once she'd like to get up there say her lines, give her best and be rewarded with a definite; 'You stank!' or 'Congratulations you made it!' 

Unfortunately today like at all the other try-outs she'd ever attended, all she'd received was a; 'Thankyou very much Ms. Locke. We have your number and we'll call you if you get the part.' 

But at least she had work to keep her mind off it for the time being. She poured a couple of vodka and oranges charged the customer and handed them over. She poured a couple of beers, charged the customer and handed them over. She poured a couple…. Well you get the idea. She interspersed the whole cycle with the occasional light-hearted conversation and the phrase "Thankyou very much, I hope you enjoy your evening." It seemed never-ending. 

"How can be people drink so much?" she asked Sammie. 

"Dunno Calls…Gotta go!" A customer had signalled at the other end of the bar and she had run off to serve them. 

"Gimme a drink; Whisky…Scotch…Vodka…I don't care as long as it's strong as hell." A raspy voice demanded. 

Calli blinked, The slender, dark skinned woman had seemingly come out of nowhere before sitting down right in front of her. Her eyes were studying the glossy counter top intently; she hadn't even bothered looking up at Calli while stating her order. 

"You know Ann Landers once said that, "People who drink to drown their sorrow should be told that sorrow knows how to swim." Calli said warmly. 

This woman seemed eerily familiar…. Where had she seen her before?   
Maybe at an audition? She certainly wasn't one of the bar's regulars. 

It seemed like Calli wasn't the only feeling a nagging sense of déjà vu… 

The dark woman looked up at Calli and took in her slender build, pale peaches and cream complexion, light blonde hair and large, emerald eyes. 

She gaped at her for a second or too before…."AERIEL?!" 

…."WHA!?"…… 

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**_"I've loved you all my life, even before we met; even when it was just the promise of you. You've kept your promise. How could you lose me?"_**   
**_--unknown_**   
  


**** Just a quick note. For those of you who don't know a Midsummer Night's Dream, it's a wonderful little play by Shakespear full of love triangles and magic.   
Four of the main characters are Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena. Hermia is supposed to marry Demetrius but she loves Lysander, so the two run away into the woods together. Demetrius, who is in love with Hermia follows them and he in turn is followed by Hermia's friend Helena who is madly in love with Demetrius even though he doesn't feel anything for her. The forest is also inhabited by fairies like the mischievous Puck and King Oberon and Queen Titania who are currently going through a lovers spat. 

Oh and I don't own any of the songs or quotes mentioned here either.... 


	2. Bewildered

Disclaimer: I do not own the Darkangel Trilogy. That belongs to Meredith Ann Pierce…If the trilogy did belong to me do you think I would have made the ending so sad? Do I sound pessimistic to you? Do I? DO I!? ~Bursts into tears~

****

THE SORCERESS TRILOGY

By Twylise

__

The Radiant One

__

Chapter 2: Bewildered

****

"You don't need to ask me if I'll be your friend. 

I am. I am. 

You don't need to ask me if I'm sure my friend. 

I am. 

I am your friend, 

You must remember me. 

I'm the one who saw through the world's disguise, 

Took away its cloak and made it hide 

From me. 

Remember me? "

***

There comes a time in everyone's lives, when something happens to them. Something so wonderful or so terrible but mainly just so-so incomprehensible that everything around them stops and all they can do is focus on it. Your mind spins and reels trying to find some way to process this barrage of new information.

Memories, emotions, thoughts, ideas and opinions…

They all blur together as you try to make use of everything you've gathered _in here_ to help you comprehend what's going _out there_. 

And eventually Calli's mind stopped spinning long enough for her amorphous thoughts to shift into some semblance of order. Not enough order, mind you, that she was thinking like a regular person but rather that images and information in her brain flowed fluidly…

…_like silken, golden fabric as light as air and almost as soft_…

…_like a song_….

"It's been along time Erin." She murmured, voice low and husky with both confusion and sadness and joy. Even as she stared at the dark girl with camaraderie and love, those emerald orbs were also filled with bewilderment. She still did not fully comprehend what she was saying.

"Too long by far," Erin croaked out. She reached out with quivering arms and amidst the din of the crowded Argo the two friends embraced. 

Then the darker girl stepped back again and looked at the younger girl again with an appraising gaze. For the first time she recognised the uncertainty in the other's eyes. 

"We need to talk," she glanced around the crowded bar, "but not here, though."

She was taken by surprise when 'Aeriel' snatched hold of her hand in a strong grasp. 

"My apartment. Not now though; after I finish my shift…I-I'll take you there."

Erin nodded.

And in Calli's mind, the song continued to play.

***

AUTHOR NOTES: Yikes! Sorry I've taken so long to update….I've actually written more for this chapter but it made more sense to end it here. So the rest that I've written will go into chapter 3 and/or chapter 4 which hopefully will follow shortly.


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